NXP’s advanced Trimension UWB portfolio hits the road with Audi

Cars featuring NXP’s Trimension UWB devices, including the Audi Q6 e-tron, will hit the road in 2024.

Smart, secure car access leverages the fine-ranging capabilities of NXP’s extensive Trimension UWB portfolio to precisely identify the location of the driver in relation to the car, allowing the doors to be unlocked only when the driver is in close proximity to the car. Drivers can unlock and start their car hands-free using a digital key on a UWB-enabled mobile phone or wearable, which can remain in the driver’s pocket or bag.

“Audi has long been on the leading edge of automotive technology, and this new UWB-enabled platform is no exception,” said Ulf Warschat, Head of Development Body Electronics, Audi AG. “The precise and secure real-time localisation delivered by NXP’s Trimension UWB portfolio ensures that our drivers will benefit from the advanced features and capabilities, allowing them to enjoy the driving experience in a whole new way.”

“NXP’s proven Trimension UWB platform enables OEMs to deliver new features for drivers, allowing secure and easy hands-free access to their cars, as well as supporting a variety of additional use cases like automated EV charging and more,” said Markus Staeblein, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Secure Car Access, NXP Semiconductors. “Building on our expertise and standardisation efforts in bodies such as the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) and the FiRa Consortium, UWB will continue to drive new enhancements to the consumer automotive experience and is quickly becoming an essential component in the automotive ecosystem.”

The Trimension NCJ29Dx family is part of NXP’s portfolio of secure car access system solutions, which includes the NCF3340 NFC controller and the KW37 Bluetooth 5.0 Long-Range MCU. These devices are also in use by Audi as part of its new platform.

The Trimension NCJ29Dx family enables UWB-based fine-ranging capabilities and is compliant to IEEE 802.15.4, CCC and FiRa standardisation. It delivers high localisation resolution and power optimisation for battery-powered devices such as key fobs, while also minimising BOM costs. Additionally, it offers maximum levels of protection against car theft through relay attacks and includes on-chip support for a wide range of cryptographic operations.

The Trimension NCJ29Dx family is part of one of the industry’s broadest UWB portfolios, which features devices suitable for both automotive and mobile, IoT or industrial applications. This includes devices like the Trimension NCJ29D6, which integrates UWB fine ranging with UWB radar capabilities to allow OEMs to address multiple use cases with a single system, including smart, secure car access, child presence detection, intrusion alert, kick sensing, and more.